AUH failures

[Brutal_HO]

OK, since there are some folks claiming there's spreading of misinformation and false claims regarding AUH failures, here's a thread with everything I currently have available.

I will update as time permits.













Single event accident caused by broke AUH ball. Single vehicle panic stop. No other vehicle involved. No vehicle struck.

 

[Brutal_HO]

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[Brutal_HO]

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[Brutal_HO]

Pinbox damage due to AUH adapter block design.

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Posted: 09/30/16 03:45pm​

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I'm coming up on the one year marks with the Andersen Ultimate steel version approximately 5k miles with the Bighorn, a around 800 miles with a Presidential suites. I've given up on the hitch as it's causing damage to both my truck, and my 2016 Bighorn 3270RS. So far the truck bed is pretty much just cosmetic from what I can tell, spray in bed liner flattened/indented. Judging by the bed flex though I feel time won't be good especially if we head to Alaska which is one of our plans.

The bighorn has a Lippert 1621HD pin box, the bottom plate of which isn't up to supporting all of the pin weight on the ends of the two set screws which carry all the load with the Andersen hitch adapter. See photos for issues. Dealer won't deal with the issue, and after approximately 3 weeks Andersen isn't saying anything yet either so being as how I have a long roadtrip planned for the near future, I ended up buying a B&W hitch, which is installed in the truck already, and Reese fifth airborne pin box which should arrive and be installed Monday.

Due to pin box length, ball adapter is installed with ball installed aft of pin. Collapse of pin box base plate was slow and progressive over the miles.

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2015 Ram 3500 Laramie CTD, 4X4, AISIN, B&W Companion Puck Mount
2016 Heartland Bighorn 3270RS, 1kw solar with Trimetric and dual SC2030, 600 watt and 2k inverters."

 

[Brutal_HO]

For you Anderson Hitch haters - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

All Things Towing - For you Anderson Hitch haters - Here's your chance to say I told you so - as you can see the top ball/post tipped forward and now can't just freely be pulled out. For pic orientation the truck cab is on the left, the tailgate to the right. The dealer (and /or Anderson)...

www.ford-trucks.com

For you Anderson Hitch haters

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Here's your chance to say "I told you so" - as you can see the top ball/post tipped forward and now can't just freely be pulled out.
For pic orientation the truck cab is on the left, the tailgate to the right.

The dealer (and /or Anderson) suspect when originally installed the pyramid wasn't properly seated and the tech just tightened it in place, allowing some play between the pyramid/truck connection. I occasionally checked the bolts for snugness but I never loosened it all and then re-torqued them to specs.

Something I didn't remember until much after is I had earlier that day make a panic stop; several hours later I felt a huge jolt (doing maybe 40 MPG). We stopped, got out - and found nothing so we eventually continued on home. Just as I was getting ready to lift the weight off the truck I noticed this. Are these two events related? I don't know but suspect maybe - but why the delay?

Regardless, I went to my dealer (installer) and they contacted Anderson. Anderson is sending a new hitch.
Good dealer, good Anderson. I still have full confidence in the AUH.

 

[Brutal_HO]

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[Brutal_HO]

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[Brutal_HO]

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[Phil T]

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Thanks for sharing.

Must be made by the same company that makes tools for Harbor Freight.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[Brutal_HO]

More to come, when I have more time...

Someone tried to call me out for "spreading misinformation," so here we go.

 

[Phil T]

It's obvious by the pictures. It looks like they used conduit as bracing. The ball snapping is shocking. It should never snap like that. Bend, maybe. Probably was made from recycled coors cans.

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[elephantrider]

looks to me like your just spreading information lmao

that hitch doesn't look worth a crap to me and I never pull 5ver's. can't believe the ball sheered that way

 

[kobra]

Thanks for sharing these Brutal, and for starting this thread. No one else took the time to share this information when I asked before.

How did the company respond to the above issues?

B

 

[Brutal_HO]

Andersen is always quick to replace any failed product, I'll give them that.

I myself own the jack blocks and levelers.

As to the the outcomes specific to some of the "panic stop" failures. what I've heard is that most owners seem to be placated simply by replacements. IMHO, I think they're trying to manage the blowback and negative posts that pop up.

I don't frequent the Westcoast Toyhaulers FB group and only learned of that one through one of the GD groups. I collected the info, as I have done for other incidents and moved on.

Unless someone is injured or NHTSA gets involved, there's unlikely to be a lawsuit or path for recovery of damages and the owner's insurance company is simply going to cover their loss and decide if it's worth it to try to subrogate to Andersen. In that case, you'll never hear about it again.

There are tons of users, no doubt, but until they encounter a situation that puts their AUH at its limits, they'll never experience a problem. I think if you have a light trailer, properly setup and adjusted trailer brakes, you'll never see an issue. But what if the trailer brakes have failed and you're trying to panic stop with just the truck's brakes? One of these first hand accounts (I'll find it) struck a deer and broke the AUH.

 

[kobra]

Andersen is always quick to replace any failed product, I'll give them that.

I myself own the jack blocks and levelers.

As to the the outcomes specific to some of the "panic stop" failures. what I've heard is that most owners seem to be placated simply by replacements. IMHO, I think they're trying to manage the blowback and negative posts that pop up.

I don't frequent the Westcoast Toyhaulers FB group and only learned of that one through one of the GD groups. I collected the info, as I have done for other incidents and moved on.

Unless someone is injured or NHTSA gets involved, there's unlikely to be a lawsuit or path for recovery of damages and the owner's insurance company is simply going to cover their loss and decide if it's worth it to try to subrogate to Andersen. In that case, you'll never hear about it again.

There are tons of users, no doubt, but until they encounter a situation that puts their AUH at its limits, they'll never experience a problem. I think if you have a light trailer, properly setup and adjusted trailer brakes, you'll never see an issue. But what if the trailer brakes have failed and you're trying to panic stop with just the truck's brakes? One of these first hand accounts (I'll find it) struck a deer and broke the AUH.

Thanks again Brutal, good info.

I'm curious why you are so intent on finding and reporting these issues? Have you had a failure?

B

 

[Brutal_HO]

IMHO, I think they're trying to manage the blowback and negative posts that pop up.

4 of the 5 FB threads I had saved are POOF gone.

 

[Brutal_HO]

Thanks again Brutal, good info.

I'm curious why you are so intent on finding and reporting these issues? Have you had a failure?

B

I got tired of seeing all the misinformation.

LOL.

Honestly, it's all the fanbois pushing for everyone to use an AUH that grinds my gears. Every single time someone on an RV forum or group asks for a hitch recommendation, there are a dozen that claim AUH is the greatest thing since Jesus. They even come out when people talk about removing their heavy slider hitches etc. with their winch, engine hoist, etc. The kind that like to try to rub other peoples noses in their sanctimonious engineering righteousness. Not a single one of them I've ever encountered has an engineering degree, and most are RV and towing neophytes. Not saying you or anyone here that uses one is that.

Of course, I do have some sense of concern for my fellow man and hate to see anyone make a mistake that might injure someone themselves or someone else.

So after the first few times I brought up issues, and all the fanbois tried to shut me down and pig pale on the cancel culture and hate, I started saving those that had citable sources (mostly). Notice I did NOT include the oft used picture of the AUH that was damaged by some doofus dragging their toyhauler through a ditch.

I never bothered to post anything here as I didn't intend to demean anyone that used one, but when I get called out for "spreading misinformation," I'm obliged to respond in kind.

 

[kobra]

I got tired of seeing all the misinformation.

LOL.

Honestly, it's all the fanbois pushing for everyone to use an AUH that grinds my gears. Every single time someone on an RV forum or group asks for a hitch recommendation, there are a dozen that claim AUH is the greatest thing since Jesus. They even come out when people talk about removing their heavy slider hitches etc. with their winch, engine hoist, etc. The kind that like to try to rub other peoples noses in their sanctimonious engineering righteousness. Not a single one of them I've ever encountered has an engineering degree, and most are RV and towing neophytes. Not saying you or anyone here that uses one is that.

Of course, I do have some sense of concern for my fellow man and hate to see anyone make a mistake that might injure someone themselves or someone else.

So after the first few times I brought up issues, and all the fanbois tried to shut me down and pig pale on the cancel culture and hate, I started saving those that had citable sources (mostly). Notice I did NOT include the oft used picture of the AUH that was damaged by some doofus dragging their toyhauler through a ditch.

I never bothered to post anything here as I didn't intend to demean anyone that used one, but when I get called out for "spreading misinformation," I'm obliged to respond in kind.

Makes sense to me.
I try not to be a fanboy on anything I own, but of course I have opinions and admit a bias to things I've owned that have worked for me. I have had good success with Anderson products, including over 30,000 miles towing with the AUH. It has quietly and happily done it's job without any hint of an issue, but I would ditch it in a heartbeat if I thought the problem was widespread and that I was risking a failure. I will continue to look over what you've posted and try to assess if these claims are valid or if there is more to the story. It does bother me that most are on FB, as we all know that if it's on FB it must be true ;-)

BTW, I absolutely check the tubes over carefully on a regular basis as I do think if they ever got kinked it would likely lead to a failure. And, as much as I can visually inspect the welds, I do that too, but will admit visual is pretty superficial there.

What grinds my gears is how it seems like there is a familiar pattern with posts involving AUH... someone asks about a hitch and several people respond with the products they use and no one makes a negative comment... until one person says they use the AUH and right away someone has to post a dire warning that their safety is in jeopardy... and then it's on; with fanboys and detractors jumping all over each other and an abundance of claims and counterclaims and exaggerations until the thread is locked.

Many have asked for facts to support the safety warnings, myself included, as I really do want to know. You are the first one that I've seen on the forums that I follow that actually took the time to reply with any information and I'm thankful that you did. Also, I hope you can understand that while you're sick and tired of the fanboys exaggerated claims, I'm sick and tired of the naysayers who heard it from a friend who heard it from a friend how these things fail all the time but they can't provide evidence... and then there are some that see the AUH as so dangerous and unsafe that it becomes their mission in life to spread the gospel of the dangers of AUH... (and, I will return the favor and be clear I'm not at all trying to demean you or anyone else on this forum; you've been completely reasonable in all of this but I cannot say the same about some of the folks in discussions I've seen on other forums)

It's just weird that this is one of those products that seems so polarizing...

Either way, I challenged you, and you responded. I truly do thank you for taking the time to do that.

B

 

[Brutal_HO]

Just for clarity, only 2 of the posts I made were from faceplant. One of those were images I captured because I notice others started disappearing. I like to see links to the original materials, but that's not always possible for private groups, forums, etc.

 

[regal2800]

I spoke to andersen this morning after seeing some of these pics. The tech i spoke with said the biggest issue in shearing of the ball is incorrect installation of the adapter. If the set screws are not tight enough or if the adapter is installed over the white grease gliding mechanism, it would allow the adapter to swing around in a harsh stop. That sudden movement of the adapter along with the weight of the trailer can shear the ball. If you look at one of the pics above, you can see the adapter installed over the grease glide plate. with the plate in place there is very little resistance holding the adapter in place.

I have never had an issue with the AUD, but thanks for posting these pics.